


green eyes and your freckles and your smile

by dreaminstarlight



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, M/M, Recording Studio, lots of feelings and a little angst because harry's kind of dumb
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-16
Updated: 2012-12-16
Packaged: 2017-11-21 08:13:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/595503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreaminstarlight/pseuds/dreaminstarlight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>harry doesn’t know how his life ends up like this, really. it’s kind of a sad way to live; spending almost every day of his gap year before uni in a dark recording studio watching someone record their first album (when he’s not there, he’s with zayn, getting drunk, and trying to get liam to get drunk. sad way to live. such a sad life). </p>
<p>(or: harry meets niall at his dad's recording studio.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	green eyes and your freckles and your smile

**Author's Note:**

> this is the first of many fics i'm writing inspired by taylor swift's songs. this one is "everything has changed" ft. ed sheeran from red.   
> i wrote this a month ago during a hurricane, and posted it on my tumblr. i just edited it up a little bit and now i'm posting it here! i hope you like~

harry doesn’t know how his life ends up like this, really. it’s kind of a sad way to live; spending almost every day of his gap year before uni in a dark recording studio watching someone record their first album (when he’s not there, he’s with zayn, getting drunk, and trying to get liam to get drunk. sad way to live. such a sad life).

it starts like this: his dad gives him the keys to the recording studio after graduation, and tells him that he’s in charge for about a week while he’s in asia or somewhere like that or a conference. harry laughs in his face before realizing that he’s actually serious. his dad is putting him in charge of whatever happens in the studio and that’s fucking huge considering last year, he wasn’t even allowed to go there.

harry wakes up at quarter past seven on his first day in charge and his head is pounding. he vaguely remembers a very sober liam telling him that someone was doing recording at eight a.m. today. what asshole would want to record anything this early on a monday? it’s going to be a long day, he decides, when he swallows a migraine pill and starts the drive to the studio. liam’s already there when he gets there and zayn’s with him. great, on top of being awake earlier than he ever should be on a monday morning, he’s stuck being a third wheel all damn day (he loves zayn and liam. he loves them a lot and he’s so happy they’re happy and he’s so glad he has them. but the whole “they’re a couple” thing can get annoying when they constantly kiss in front of him. he’s not bitter. no. not at all.)

“not in the studio, boys.” harry mumbles when he enters the studio, closing the door behind him. zayn never pulls away from liam, but flips harry off behind liam’s neck. “we have that kid recording at soon, stop it.”

“woah, when did styles get all professional?” liam laughs, and damn, he’s way too happy for barely eight a.m.

“he’s jealous, he can’t do stuff like this anymore. now that lou’s gone,” zayn says and it shouldn’t hurt but it does. harry forgets sometimes. he forgets that louis was his everything at one point and he just left. and when he remembers. well. it hurts.

“i. um. li, who’s recording? you’ve worked with him before, yeah?” harry sits down in front of the controls and tries to remember if he even knows how to use this thing.

“yeah, niall horan. he’s a good kid. straight off x factor. he’s working on his first album. really early stages, though. demos and stuff. he writes, too.” liam says. he sits next to harry and pulls zayn into his lap.  
a blonde kid (harry assumes it’s niall) walks into the studio then, grins and says hi to liam and zayn. “you’re not mr. styles,” he says to harry. he’s not at all like harry thought he’d be. he’s cute and blonde and irish and kind of small and really, really cute.

“clearly i’m not?” harry rolls his eyes.

“you,” zayn points at harry, “stop being a bitch.”

harry rolls his eyes again, and ignores the way niall looks at him. “i’m harry,” he says to niall. “i guess we’ll just get started? get this over with.” he slides a pair of headphones on and presses a few buttons. this isn’t even his job, liam should be doing this. “liam, stop fucking making out with zayn and work. you’re getting paid, i’m not. and i could easily tell my dad that you were snogging your boyfriend instead of working. but i’m a good friend, so i won’t do that.”

“nice to meet you, harry. i’m niall.” he smiles before sliding into the recording booth. liam takes over then, because he knows what niall is working on and whatever. so harry leans back in his chair and closes his eyes. he still has a headache and he shouldn’t have drank that much last night and he wants to be at home and not stuck here with the annoying boyfriends and the cute kid. the day seems to drag on forever, but harry doesn’t mind it all that much if it means getting to hear niall sing. he’s amazing, and harry doesn’t know why he didn’t win x factor because he really should have. he’s cute and he can sing (and he’s everything harry wants).

he makes it through the day okay, not really saying much. right as he’s about to get up and leave, he feels a hand on his shoulder and tilts his head back to find niall there. “hi?” he laughs.

“rough night last night, mate?” niall asks him with this smile that’s so soft and really cute (dammit, niall is just really cute).

“drank more than i should’ve, that’s for sure. and zayn’s a bad friend. other than that, not so rough, i guess.”

“sorry i made you get up, i could’a came later. i know what hangovers are like and they’re not fun.”

“don’t apologize.” harry spins in his chair and stands up to face niall. “later next time, yeah?”

“definitely later,” niall laughs, “i’m recording again wednesday. you get a little break from me,”

“nah, you’re better than the people recording tomorrow. those guys are all kind of douches to me. i’d rather be with you.”

“i um. i have to go. party tonight.” niall says.

“oh, alright. i’ll um. see you wednesday?”

“sounds good, styles.”

“see you then, horan.”

-x-

the week goes by fast after that. harry works with niall on wednesday and thursday and on friday he goes to niall’s flat (and he falls asleep wrapped around niall. with his arms around niall’s waist. he can’t tell niall how he feels because this, falling for niall, was never part of the plan. but hell, niall is perfect.) and spends all day saturday with him. and he falls for niall. completely gone for the boy.

even though he’s not in charge after that one week anymore, harry still shows up at the studio to spend time with niall.

“you do this with all your dad’s clients?” niall asks him one day when they’re both waiting for harry’s dad to come back from a call.

“nah, just the ones i like.” harry winks.

“ah, so you like me?” niall comes out of the booth and pulls harry out of his chair.

“just a little bit,” harry tugs at his beanie and tries to hide the way he blushes.

“good to know.” niall grins.

-x-

a month passes and niall’s about to go on tour. and harry is still in love with him. they hang out more and more as niall’s about to leave. just because they can. (and neither one will say it, but they’re going to miss each other a lot. that’s why they’re doing that).

harry goes to the studio early one day when his dad wants him to open up and control that day and liam’s already outside waiting for him.

“y’know, niall’s leaving in two days…” liam says when they’re in the studio and harry is damn near falling asleep in his chair.

“didn’t have to bring it up, did you?” harry mutters and leans back into the chair.

“you need to tell niall how you feel before he goes, harry.”

harry spins in his chair so he isn’t facing liam before saying anything. “tell him what?”

“you obviously feel something for niall and it’s obviously not platonic.”

“shut up, i don’t.” harry whines.

“i see it and zayn sees it and i bet niall does too. you make it really obvious, mate.”

“heeeeeeeeey.”

“you should tone down the staring if you don’t want him to know. what are you so scared of? just go for it.” liam smiles and harry really wants him to just shut up. it’s too early for liam in general.

“i’m not scared, shut up.”

“it’s lou, isn’t it? get over him.”

“you don’t get it! i loved louis. i loved him alot and getting over him isn’t going to be easy!”

“haz, you already have gotten over him! you love niall. you look at niall the way you looked at louis.”

"shut up! he's not lou. he'll never be lou. i don't. i can't replace him and i'll never love niall the way i loved lou. i don't love niall." harry blinks and looks to the doorframe and shit, niall heard that.

“i. oh.” niall says with a shaky breath.

that couldn’t have just happened. harry lied and niall heard it and believes it and fuck, this is so wrong.

“niall. i’m, um. that wasn’t. i’m sorry.” harry stumbles over the words and shoots a look at liam like he wants to murder him.

“you. okay. i’m just going to set up and we’ll record and that’ll be that.” niall’s normal happy grin that’s always there is replaced with a sad smile.

harry feels like such a failure and he doesn’t know why he isn’t used to this by now. he’s let so much slip right through his fingers because of dumb things like this. and fuck, now niall’s gone too. niall’ll be back soon, sure, but it’s never going to be the same because harry still loves him and he ruined everything.

niall records a love song that day and sings to harry. harry tries to hide what that does to him because “he doesn’t love niall”.

“i’ll see you tomorrow, horan,” harry smiles when niall is on his way out.\

“yeah.” niall says and walks out. (it’s the first time niall hasn’t said “see you tomorrow, styles” since they met).

the rest of the night is a blur. harry gets drunk and he’s pretty sure liam yells at him and he thinks he might have cried. he misses niall. he wants niall.

-x-

he sends niall a text the next morning that says ‘sorry nialler. it wasn’t true.’

and niall doesn’t respond. (but at least he knows now. or maybe he doesn’t. maybe he doesn’t believe it).

they don’t even look at each other while they’re at the studio even though harry keeps trying to talk to him. his day is filled with empty responses and sad smiles from liam.

after niall says goodbye to liam, harry fully expects him to just leave and not say anything. he waits until liam leaves and the door is shut before asking, “who’s lou?”

“my ex. first boyfriend, first person i really loved, all of that. he um. cheated on me with a radio one presenter.” harry looks away because he thinks he knows what’s coming. niall’s going to leave and that’ll be it.

“wow. that really sucks, i’m sorry. not easy to get over, yeah?”

“not at all. ni, i’m sorry about yesterday. i didn’t mean what i said. liam was right. i do love you. i’m over whatever happened with exes and i love you.” harry says. he bites his lip and turns back to face niall. niall reaches out and takes both of harry’s hand in his own.

“i love you too.” niall lets go of harry’s hands and wraps an arm around his waist. they’re close now, and harry’s the one who presses his lips to niall’s and closes the gap between them. they kiss until they’re both breathless, harry pulls back a little to look at niall.

“how am i going to say goodbye to you after that?” niall asks.

“don’t want you to leave.” harry says.

“i’ll be back before you know it. we’ll make it work, yeah?”

“yeah. ‘s all i want.” harry is absolutely beaming when niall lifts a hand to play with his curls.

and everything is kind of okay after that. he has niall and tour isn’t as long as he thinks it’ll be and he spends every day watching niall record. he still gets drunk with zayn and tries to corrupt liam. his life isn’t perfect but he wouldn’t have it any other way.


End file.
